Thank you for your warm welcome. I’m happy to see old faces and equally delighted to meet new ones.

Indeed, it’s nice to be back in an institution that had a long and brilliant history in public service, and which I had a privilege of serving as Secretary from 1998 to 1999.

It seems that I have come full circle, standing here before you today, twenty (20) years or one generation later.

The fact is I have been with you all these years, quite literally and figuratively.

At ICRISAT, I’ve had undertakings and engagements with several of you, especially those involved in Research and Development. And after my retirement from ICRISAT in 2014, we established InangLupa Movement, a voluntary organization aimed at advocating the modernization and industrialization of Philippine agriculture.

Again, I sincerely thank President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for giving me the privilege to serve the country anew as Acting Secretary of the Department of Agriculture.

Therefore, I am now your servant-leader in agriculture or SLA.

I strongly believe in his advocacies to make the country food-secure and to bring more development to the countryside.

Hence, I urge all of us to unite behind our President to finding more ways to make smallholder Filipino farmers and fishers more prosperous, with the ultimate goal of doubling their incomes in five years.

When we say farmers, they include those involved in crops, poultry, and livestock.

Meeting Challenges

We are faced with the painful and stark reality that Philippine agriculture has barely grown this past decade, at a measly rate of 1.1% annually, while population has been increasing at a faster rate, at 1.8% yearly.

Subsequently, we have been resorting to imports to fill up and compensate for the difference.

Today we can only produce 93 per cent of our rice requirements, and import the balance.

President Duterte himself has acknowledged that the agriculture sector is the weakest link in our economy.

And we wish to reverse that with all your support.

Our target is to grow at least two percent, reckoned from August 2019 to July 2020; and work our way up to 2.5 percent to three percent in 2021; and three to four percent in 2022.

I believe it can be done with the support of the entire DA Family, in strong partnership with the farmers, fisherfolk,  private sector, LGUs, academic and science community, and civil society organizations, including international funding agencies.

Eight Paradigms

We will translate our vision of ensuring food security with prosperous farmers and fishers by embracing a strategy built around eight paradigms that make up our “new thinking” for agriculture.

They are:

• Modernization of agriculture;
• Industrialization of agriculture;
• Promotion of exports;
• Farm consolidation;
• Infrastructure development;
• Roadmap development;
• Higher budget and investments for agriculture; and
• Legislative support.

Modernization must continue. Intensify the promotion and use of appropriate modern technologies, both for our staple food and high value crops, livestock, poultry and fisheries. A case in point is the RCEF.

Industrialization of agriculture is key. We treat agriculture as an industry. Improve the value chain system of farm and fishery sectors; engage the private sector in setting up more agri-based industries, and developing markets for agriculture products; and craft a framework for the digitalization of farming and agribusiness activities through the use of advanced technologies. We will transform our  farmers and fishers into agripreneurs.

Promotion of exports is a necessity. Aggressively and systematically develop and promote agricultural products, both raw and processed, in local and overseas markets, and provide the necessary policy environment to encourage trade and investments;

Farm Consolidation will be pursued to achieve economies of scale through contract farming, block farming, corporate farming, in partnerships with interested agribusiness corporations. These partnerships must be inclusive to benefit small holder farm families, at the same time provide employment. This will be a big brother-small brother partnership, where they will share their their capital, management know-how, technologies, and market linkages  here and abroad with our farmers and fishers.

Infrastructure development would be critical. In partnership with concerned agencies and LGUs, we will strongly establish vital rural infrastructure such as farm-to-market roads, postharvest facilities, tolling, processing and marketing facilities. We will also engage the private sector and LGUs to create food hubs, and efficient transport and logistics systems all to improve and speed up the delivery and distribution of products into markets, here and abroad. We will partner with the NIA and the private sector to build more national irrigation systems through the build-operate-and transfer mechanism.

Roadmap development is paramount. Craft and carry out strategic industry and commodity roadmaps, covering a period of at least five years, guided by the following goals of productivity, competitiveness, profitability, resilience and sustainability.

Higher budget and investment for Philippine agriculture. Push for sustained bigger budget and investment to create more employment opportunities and unlock the bigger potential contribution of agriculture and agribusiness to the economy. We will accelerate project development and fund generation in partnerships with the international donor agencies and countries; and

Legislative support is needed. In partnership with the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives, we will aggressively pursue the passing of agri sector-conducive and empowering legislative measures to achieve our vision through the implementation of our eight paradigms and several initial measures that I mention later.

We believe these imperatives will pave the way to developing, strengthening and nurturing the country’s agriculture and fishery sector, and in particular achieve our vision of prosperous farmers and fishers, and a thriving globally-competitive agriculture sector.

Further, we must rethink and redo or better yet, to the language of millennials, reboot the way we conduct things in the Department.

We will continue to build on the gains of previous administrations.

After my oath taking, the President issued his first marching order, that is, to arrest the anemic growth of the agriculture sector. He said we should grow and develop the agriculture sector to respectable levels, and make our small farmers and fisherfolk prosperous.

His second directive is: Do what is right and with legal basis.

Therefore, I enjoin all of you to abide by the principles of ease of doing business, and providing efficient, effective, timely, swift, quality service to our clienteles— with a smile!

In strongest terms: No to corruption! One strike you are out!

We will set up a strong and credible anti-corruption group, an internal ombudsman.

We will partner with the Bureau of Customs to wage a relentless war against smugglers of agricultural products.

In all, guided by good governance, transparency, and consultative engagement, we aim to raise the incomes and dignity of our farmers and fishers.

We will pour more resources and implement more projects in Mindanao, as it is more endowed with good soil and weather, and other factors compared with Luzon and the Visayas.

We should plan to allot proportionate and higher budget to Mindanao commensurate to its contribution to the national economy.

We will work out with the National Food Authority (NFA) to unlock their P7-billion procurement fund. Its disbursement should be accelerated for the timely and continuous procurement of palay, storage, drying and milling, and marketing of rice in retail outlets.

Simply, NFA should buy, process and rice immediately to consumers so that they can but more palay from farmers, and so forth and so on.

We will work with the top 10 rice producing provinces to help them directly buy, process and sell rice. We will ensure available credit for this joint undertaking with our top rice producing provinces.

Our policies and programs must be innovative, transformative, consultative.

In particular, the programs and projects should pass the five-way test. They should be productive, competitive, profitable, resilient and sustainable.

We will strive to improve capacities and efficiencies in the entire value chain.

We will aspire to make farming and fishing more profitable, productive and competitive.

We will work closely with the Land Bank of the Philippines to make credit affordable and accessible. We will help them hit their target to reaching three million farmers and lend P30 billion in three years. We will augment this, with the guidance and support of the Department of Finance. Tomorrow, I will attend my first meeting with the Board of Land Bank of the Philippines.

We at the DA only serve as the conductor. The lead actors are the farmers, fisherfolk and the private sector.

We will enhance and elevate our partnership with the private sector, and some of them are with us here today, the captains of the country’s agribusiness industry.

Palakpakan po natin sila! Maraming Salamat po sa inyong pagdalo!

We will enhance, strengthen and expand ASPIRE, an existing  joint project of the DA with the PCCI. We want to go down to the provincial level.

Dapat aangat lahat.

We must aim for inclusive growth and development.

Tulungan natin ang ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda upang makamit nila ang masaganang ani at mataas na kita.

Hence, today we give birth to our twin objectives: ani at kita.

Specific Measures

Since Day 1, we have been addressing major agriculture issues and concerns.

These include low palay prices, the threat of African swine fever, and containing fall armyworm infestation.

Initially, we will provide cash assistance to rice farmers affected by the rice tariffication law or RTL.

I am pleased to report that we have achieved this over the weekend, with the strong support of former agriculture secretary and currently Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III.

We will expand the SURE program of the DA-ACPC to assist and empower affected rice farmers.

We will convene the ACPC Board within the week, to flesh out the operational guidelines, and roll out our version of the Pantawid Magsasaka Program.

To effectively prevent the entry of African swine fever, we have directed our concerned men and women at the BAI and others to strengthen our quarantine systems in our ports and porous borders.

We will exhaust all preventive measures, rather than employ curative measures when a disease or malady is already in our shore and wreaking havoc on our livestock industry.

On fall army worm, we have instructed the BPI and enjoined concerned LGUs to conduct needed control measures. In fact, we will visit Isabela in a few days. The BPI will conduct due diligence and elevate this major concern to the cabinet assistance system.

On typhoons, we must be proactive. We will strongly partner with PAGASA.

We will put in place early warning systems, say at least 10 days before a typhoon enters the country’s area of responsibility.

I understand we have several agro-meteorologists in the DA family. Rest assured you will be tapped.

We will strengthen our quick intervention system.

We will partner with LGUs on strategic positioning of food, storage of harvested grains, and provision of needed interventions in affected areas like quick rehabilitation, and quick-turn-around schemes.

We will develop and strengthen provincial extension systems in partnership with the LGUs, private sector like the PCCI, and DA RFOs and ATI.

I will convene a Secretary of Agriculture’s Group of Experts (SAGE) that will advise us on policy matters, and other concerns.

In all, we will build a stronger, more resilient Philippine agriculture and fishery sector, and a more productive rural economy, built on good governance, proper planning, and implementation of policies that are peopled-centered, responsive and accountable.

Agenda in 1^st 100 Days

These initial measures are part of our agenda in the first 100 days:

• Ensure the proper and efficient implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law, particularly the management of the P10-B RCEF and the formulation of Rice Industry Roadmap;
• Craft and implement a “Crop Diversification Strategy” with corresponding fund requirements, initially using current budget;
• Enhance skills of small farmers and fisherfolk (SFFCs, IAs, and ARBAs), with emphasis on entrepreneurship and financial management;
• Strongly implement climate change and disaster risk reduction program, such institutionalizing early warning systems and protocols;
• Assist BARMM in implementing its agriculture, fishery and agri-entrepreneurship development program;
• Introduce “New Thinking” as the revised DA vision and mission;
• Sustain massive information and communication campaign, highlighting countryside heroes;
• Review and re-orient existing DA programs, projects and 2020 budget;
• Enhance partnership with the private sector particularly in forging contract-growing and marketing agreements, and training of SFFCs, IAs, and ARBAs on agribusiness, entrepreneurship, financial and marketing;

We have started this on Day 1, meeting the captains of industry as well as farmers’ groups. Namely PCAFI, AFA, etc.

• Strengthen the organizational structure of the Department, including systems and processes for efficient and effective governance.

We will entice the young, the best and the brightest minds to help rejuvenate the DA family (following the example of DOF Sec CGD).

• Conduct “Food Summit” with key stakeholders: farmers, fisherfolk, GOs, NGOs, LGUs, private sector, SUCs, others.
• Coordinate/collaborate with DTI regarding price stabilization and complementation of agricultural products, as well as strengthen quarantine measures against poultry and livestock diseases;
• Review restrictive and constrictive policies on agriculture, fishery, agribusiness, credit, etc., such as the possible lifting of the ban on export of mature coconuts and corn.

Magtulungan po tayong lahat upang matupad natin nang mahusay at mabilis ang mga gawaing nabanggit.

Let us all unite to provide graft-free, swift, quality, service to our beloved farmers and fishers, agri stakeholders, and partners.

Join us in nurturing our new offsprings… Ani and Kita.

Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat!

13 August 2019